Hello all! I'd like some advice on moving to Japan/finding work in Japan.

In your opinion, is it better to enter the country on a tourist visa, find a job and change to a work visa, or is it better to secure a job and visa before entering the country?

I have three years teaching experience in Korea, Canada, and Thailand (will be four when I finish my current contract in Thailand), but so much of what I'm seeing online asks for people already in the country.

Can anyone offer advice on my best path of finding a job in Japan, or any reputable companies (aside from AEON/ECC/JET) that will sponsor? I'm trying to avoid group interviews as they would involve a 6+ hour flight for me.

Those three you mention - JET, Aeon/ECC (in order of preference) - are about the only ones worth applying for. I'd give eikaiwa like Nova and Gaba a wide berth, as you don't get paid a set monthly salary but get paid per lesson, and people can struggle to fill their schedules, especially in the early days.

ALT dispatch pay is even poorer than eikaiwa, probably at least 500k yen lower over a year.

If you come to Japan and look for a job, you'll need to give yourself time to do interviews and accept a position, which could take at least a month or two, then wait for the visa processing, which could take another month or two. So you'd need probably up to 4 or 5 months of savings to survive on while applying, interviewing and waiting for the visa, then once you start working, you won't get paid until the end of the following month, so you'll need another couple of months of savings to live on, though your company may be able to advance you some money.

Bear in mind that apartments in Japan can have a lot of costs and charges to pay when you first move in, such as the contract fee, insurance, cleaning, plus maybe a deposit and key money, and a fee for a guarantor company, AND you may have to pay for your furniture (though there are places which are furnished). It's not unusual to have to pay 5 or 6 months worth of rent money when you first move into a private apartment, however you could live in a guesthouse, where you share kitchen and cooking facilities, and they don't usually have all these moving-in costs.

Unless you really want to come to Japan in particular, I'd look at other destinations as well for TEFLing. There are probably better deals available in other countries, like China and Korea.

Overall, the best way in my opinion is to go over with Westgate. They supply a job, accommodation, visa, and a three-month contract. I went over there to test the waters and stayed for six years. My fallback was the length of the contract as if I hadn't liked the country I could have returned home quite quickly. It was easy to find other work and stay on in Japan after my Westgate contract expired. Although I went over quite some time ago a friend of mine is taking the plunge with Westgate next month...

If you choose the Kansai (i.e. Osaka) area, Tennoji is a very good hub to "rough it" in a straw mat hostel room for a few months while you look for work and maybe even through to your first salary.

The public transport system in the region is sufficient to the point that you can easily interview anywhere in Kobe, Kyoto or Osaka, as well as the other towns in the area (e.g. Nishinomiya, Hirakata, Amagasaki, Toyonaka, Higashi-Osaka, etc.).

Certainly better than committing a huge sum towards an apartment and potentially failing to find a job, or spending the "limbo" period in expensive hotels and/or inconvenient dormitories.

Thank you very much for the advice! I've gotten in contact with hiring advisers with AEON and ECC who have told me they will be able to interview me visa Skype to avoid any unnecessary flights.
I really appreciate the information on realistic time it takes to get a job and visa and where to stay if needed.

One more question, if anyone is able to help!

I'm now wondering about criminal record checks from home countries. Is it required for obtaining a work visa in Japan? I was looking at the visa requirements and didn't see it, but that seems strange to me. In Korea, I needed one from Canada, but in Thailand I needed one from Bangkok police only.

I only ask because they're difficult to obtain from overseas and I need to be planning my next steps.